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Abstract

Correspondence, notes, photographs, clippings, biographical material, and other personal papers, 1948-1995, from actor, artist, and raconteur Samson DeBrier. After working as an actor in the 1910s and 1920s, most notably in the film Salome, the eccentric DeBrier remained in Hollywood and literati circles throughout his life and was known for hosting salons with creative locals in his Hollywood home. The bulk of the collection is correspondence sent to DeBrier from 1954 to 1995.

Biography

Samson DeBrier was born on March 18, 1909 and grew up in New Jersey. He moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a silent film actor, most notably in Alla Nazimova's Salome (1923). During this time, he also lived in Paris and fell in with the literati circles after befriending Andre Gide. Being independently wealthy from a real estate investment, DeBrier eventually settled in a Hollywood bungalow in the 1950s where he remained for the rest of his life. He was known for hosting art salons at his home, attracting the likes of Jack Nicholson, Anais Nin, Steve McQueen, Paul Mazursky, and Dorothy Parker, among others. In 1954, both DeBrier and his Hollywood bungalow were featured in Kenneth Anger's Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. Samson DeBrier died on April 1, 1995.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Acquisition

The correspondence files in this collection were donated by Jean Ferro, September 13, 2006. The photograph file was donated by Kenneth Anger, May 10, 1995. Donor and date of the remaining papers are unknown.

Preferred Citation

Processing Information

Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama with assistance from Sean Wejebe, February 2014.

Scope and Contents

The collection comprises correspondence, notes, photographs, clippings, biographical material, and other personal papers, 1948-1995, of actor and artist Samson DeBrier. The bulk of the collection is correspondence, mostly Christmas cards, sent to DeBrier from 1954 to 1995. Also included is one biographical file of photocopied articles and photographs documenting DeBrier throughout his life.

Arrangement

Correspondence is listed first. The remaining folders are arranged alphabetically.